The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the rest of th Week of October 31st, 2024

Continuing on from yesterday's preview.....Here is what is going on for the rest of this Halloween week.

Saturday, November 1st

The Hates / The Delta Block / Anarchitex / Room 101
@ Rudyard's

Old School Punker's The Hates and the Anarchitex the young whippersnappers Delta Block and Room 101.

As Eden Burns (CD Release) / Carry The Storm / Before...There Was Rosalyn / Torsectomy / Feast of Dead Animals
@ Walter's on Washington
Screamy grinding double-kick metal CD release. Yessssss!Dirty Honey, featuring Brett Koshkin & Special Guest
@ Boondocks
DJ's at Boondocks - Wo'd 'ave thunk it.

DANSEPARC presents
A John Waters Halloween
@ Numbers
DJ's Shu and Michael will have you dancin' like Divine on Saturday. Awesomeness!!!!

Mako Sika/Fist of Kong
@ Notsuoh

Improv at it's finest with the mighty Fist of Kong. The funny thing is I didn't realize FOK was still playing at (original) drummer Vaughn Boone had long ago left. So I called the band and they were like "Oh are we playing? Where did you read that?" Eventually it turns out this was set up ages ago. So go figure. Glad I called them up.

Texas Johnny Boy/Milton Hopkins
@ McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Some sweet blues for the first day of November with Lightnin's cousin Milton who's a pretty solid blues guitarist himself.

The Beach Boys
@ Moody Gardens (Galveston)
The Beach Boys get aces points for playin' Galveston. Hooray for them. Very classy cats.

Project H (CD release)/Nothingmore/Mother's Anthem/Dremt The End/Sun Machine
@ Fitzgerald's
This falls under -Meh, it's a CD release so that's the only reason I'm mentioning it.


Sunday November 2nd

Band Camp: Off Line Promotion @ Caroline Collective 1-3PM Free
Learn how to promote yourself...Eh, I'll let Band Camp explain it:

"The topic will be OFFLINE PROMOTION and will be taught by Kerry Melonson of Satin Hooks, B-Boy Craig and Jacob Calle. These three gentlemen will give a talk on promoting using various methods that have nothing to do with the internet. Employing flyering, postering, word-of-mouth, traditional media outlets and subversive methods bands can promote both their brand and their upcoming shows. Following the formal talk the remaining time will be spent mentoring bands one-on-one to evaluate their current promotional methods and develop both short term and long term plans for these promotions.

While Craig, Kerry and Jacob will be leading the session, we ask that other superheroes of offline and street promotion attend this session to ensure that there is a knowledge share between bands and experts as well as a healthy ratio of experts to musical artists. We also look forward to listening to these experts weigh in on best practices alongside the day’s speakers."

Monday, November 3rd

Sista Sekunden/Battle Rifle/PLF/ Fan Death/
@ The White Swan
Swedish Hardcore ass-whoopers Sista Sekuden head off an awesome bill of hardcore which includes the recently back from Europe PLF.



Tuesday, November 4th

Terradactyls/ Wild Moccasins / Buxton
@ Notsuoh
Oh forget the election; this is going to be an amazing bill. I haven't had a chance to check out the Terradactyls but jeez the Wild Moccasins and Buxton -two of Houston's best bands - are reason alone to go.

Savoy Brown
@ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
All you late 60s British blues fans may be interested in this one. Only guitarist Kim Simmonds remains of the original line-up as the rest of the band took a Slow Ride to become Foghat in 1970. Really this is just an excuse to link to a video of Slow Ride which for some inexplicable reason is a song I've always found hilarious and terrible yet somehow charming. I mean seriously those are some awesomely bad lyrics! I'm sure though if it was the 70's and you were driving your airbrushed van with huge quantities of coke and weed this song would be speakign to your very soul.

Wednesday, November 5th

Colour Music / Flowers To Hide / Giant Princess / The Quietest
@ The Mink
Personally I think the press bio for Colour Music is all manufactured bollocks but who cares the music is clever, fun poppy, whimsical and that is all that matters.

The Legendary Pink Dots
@ Warehouse Live
Oh man I know where John Muzak will be tonight! And with good reason as for nigh 3 decades this Anglo-Dutch experimental band has been pumping out some wonderful experimental music that ranges from the melodic to the more dense and textured stuff.

David Dondero
@ Walter's on Washington
Portland singer songwriter David Dondero sings songs about everything from rotisserie chicken to the Rothko Chapel with a conversational style that seems like a very nice chell way to spend your Wednesday night


Thursday, November 6th

Deerhoof / Experimental Dental School / Flying
@ Numbers

California's super fun indie popsters Deerhoof are one of those bands whose charms are impossible to resist. Upbeat and clever without being self conscious and bassist Satomi Matasuzaki's vocals just the sweetest.

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead / Heist at Hand / Spain Colored Orange @ Warehouse Live

Austin Melodic rockers AYWKUBTTOOD return with local faves Heist and Hand and Spainc Coloured Orange.

Cro-Mags /Iron Age / Your Mistake / Roots of Exile / On My Side
@ Walter's on Washington
Holy Shit? Like the old early 80's Hare Krishna metal/hardcore band from New York? That band? they're still around? Awesome!

Aunt Dracula / TENSE / How I Quit Crack / :kai / ros: /dj suzi puke
@ The Mink
Aunt Dracula makes you wonder "Just how weird is Philly?" but in a good way. Tense is always fun and look who is DJing? Suzi Puke! Woooo, welcome back Domokos!!!!!!

The Halloween Live Show Olympics...

THE GOLD MEDAL GOES TO....

Long Live the Dead,
featuring Dannzig (Misfits/Samhain/Danzig tribute), The Monocles, News on the March, Wild Moccasins, & Young Mammals
@ Walter's on Washington
8PM
$8 with costume $10 without

I remember back when Jeoaf over at Walter's was telling me how he was going to really put on one amazing show for Halloween. I just kind of scratched my head wondering what he could pull off. Well, he seems to have accomplished his goal with flying colors. Opening is Young Mammals doing an encore of their show stopping Pixies set from the first Hootenanny. The 2024 kings of the pop scene - The Wild Moccasins - follow with what will surely be a high-energy set that will have you dancing and smiling. News on the March - on the rise with their brand of harmonious pop with a touch of country swing - will follow. I hope their sound is a s good as the last time I saw them at Walter's; that cello was sweeet! The Monocles will lay down some fine awe inspiring garage and have you shouting MONOCLES! MONOCLES! MONOCLES! (Sorry I just like writing monocles monocles monocles!) Finally, if you found the Glenn Danzig show earlier this week at House of Blues weak, send in the Jon Benet to the rescue! They will perform as various Glenn Dannzig bands! How can that line-up possibly fail?

Superawesome Bonus Points: One Free Keg and a special News On The March/Monocles split 7" at the door while supplies last. I, for one, have been stoked about this 7" since I first heard of it. Probably the smartest pairing on 7" of wax imaginable. I'll be there early just to grab a copy.

THE SILVER MEDAL GOES TO....

Rusted Shut (12" release) / The Homopolice
@ Sound Exchange (8PM, free)
*poster edited because your IT Department sucks.

Wow I'd written a whole paragraph on this but Emperor Jones' comment on Homopolice's Myspace was too awesome not to reprint. Here it is in it's entirety:

"OMG like totally like wow Crusted Shit with a 12"??? OMG vinyl!!! They're doing doing that??? That is soooo cool, there's not NEARLY eanough "cool" "artists" doing vinyl these days, like OMG!!!

Fuck fake poser faggot, Dawn Welch thinks he's a fuckin rock star the biggest fakest phoniest richboy yankee cunt in H-Town. Big fuckin deal that 11 years later, some stupid "session" you did finally came out on wax. You losers will never be taken seriously by anyone who is not insane, so go ahead and have tatooed "punks" and ex-hipster now-alcoholic mid-30s junkies and all those other LOSERs that cum at your shows (all 15 of them), g'head mate. And then may you, Rusted Shut, die a slow and painful death.

Anyone ever heard that Hungarian vagina "DomeAPose"'s "side project" crust electro glitch new wave horseshit? Worst music I've ever heard in my life. He should also be lashed before slashed."

Wow! Awesomeness!


AND THE BRONZE MEDAL GOES TO...


Indie Houston & Caroline Collective's
Final Fridays Halloween Show
Featuring

Music by Listenlisten, Robert Ellis, and Phillip Foshee
Improv Theatre by Scatter! and Bootown,
@ Caroline Collective (4820 Caroline St.)
6-11PM
$5 and Beer Provided by Saint Arnolds

Ok, let's See. Killer squirrel munching on human remains that it no doubt slaughtered. OK. Weird and a bit disturbing but very Halloweeny. Who do we have here? Let's see... Listenlisten - Oooooh that's a very cool and chill way to kick off your Halloween. Plus the acoustic stylings of Robert Ellis and Phillip Foshee - dude I am so chill now that I dunno if I can really be ready to fight those zombies hoardes like I planned. Ahhh, and there's also some improv theatre from Bootown and Scatter. Should be neat. Aaaaan oh yes Free Beer! Well you do have to Pay a fiver to get in but free in the after entrance price free. Wooo! Oh, and did I mention that the Indie Houston Site is up and running and it looks pretty sweet. You shoudl check it out.

ALSO HAPPENING

Horror Business, featuring
Fredster, Damon, & Bobby DJ
@ Boondocks
DJs at Boondocks are you scared yet?

Creepshow II Halloween Party, featuring
Hollywood Black, The Goods, & Slivered
@ Rudyard's

Mia Kat all stars at Rudz. Not very creepy but we aren't complaining.

Willie Nelson/Mary McBride
@ House of Blues
Willie! Freaking Willie Nelson - There is no Holiday that cannot be improved by the inclusion of Willie.

Woooo Something Fierce's New Album Preview.

We just saw this on Hands Up Houston this morning and thought we'd share in case you missed it. Something Fierce's songwriting and performance skills have put them at the top of the pop-punk heap. If you've missed their 7" Modern Girl and Teenage Ruins earlier in the past year then you missed out on some of the best waxy goodness to rise out of the Bayou. Luckily you poor turntable-less folks won't miss out too much longer as it seems those singles will be part of the new full length. So enjoy, we'll be back to reviewing live shows next Monday.

Here is Steven Garcia's accompanying text:

The new album is inching closer toward finality, and we'd like you all to be as excited as we are in it's coming.It will be entitled, "There Are No Answers" and will be released in December 2024.

This video is not only a preview to the upcoming release but also a look back at the last 2 1/2 years that we've been writing and refining the songs between "Come For The Bastards" and this, our sophomore, full-length. We've shared some of the finest moments of our lives together, and we've been lucky enough to meet some of you along the way.

Thank you for being a part of this band,
SG

The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the rest of the week of October 24th

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON
EL REY

Sunday October 26th
Vicente Fernandez
@ Toyota Center
Attention Wild Moccasins, check out the VF 'stache. Yes that's right Nick, Cody, and both the Andrews this is no wee 'stache but a huge manly one that could likely join forces with his awe inspiring brow and take on some Banditos then turn around and woo the loveliest Señorita all by themselves while Vicente relaxes back in his Rancho. With his awesome sombrero and horse at the ready I wouldn't be surprised if Vicente wisked away Zahira into the sunset (watch out Cody!!!). But dig it, Vicente has been singing Ranchera and starring in Mexican Films since before we were born and he takes his devotion to his commitment to his audience pretty seriously. He famously and emotionally followed through with a show on the day his father died and even took a $30,000 fine from a venue in Miami for going over the scheduled time. How's that for devotion to your audience. So while there are some pretty awesome smaller shows out there, this week we're going to say "Viva El Rey De Las Rancheras!"

ALSO THIS WEEK

Saturday, October 25

NO THANKS FEST (Day 2)
Pressure Crack (1pm). Back Sabbath (2pm), Tolar (3pm), Akkolyte (4pm), Unit 21 (5pm), Ramming Speed (6pm), Ecocide (7pm), Vorvadoss (8pm), Kill The Client (9pm), Dissent (10pm), Resigned to Fate (11pm), Stormcrow (12am), Spazm 151 (1am)
@ Emory, TX
Day Two of the previously discussed camping and grind/punk fest. We're just psyched about Dissent playing - they are pretty pummeling in their awesomeness!

Spain Colored Orange / Program / Paris Falls
@ Rudyard's
Hugely popular trumpeting popsters Spain Coloured Orange are back and they are bringing with them Program and the show stealing Paris Falls opening. God I hope PF brings their light show - it rules!

Ladyheat / Electric Attitude / Elaine Greer
@ Notsuoh
Hooray Elaine Greer - one example why Houston's talent pool should be envied. Oh yes, and remember to bring chips for Travis (her bassist); he likes chips.

Sever The Silence / Devoured By Darkness / All The Way To The Bank / Last Rosary / Diminished / Supremacy
@ Walter's on Washington
I wonder how many times Frank Oz sits there pissed that he never gets a dime in royalties much less recognition for his contribution to metal.

Reprogram Music / Multimedia and friends -present:
Spellbound dance party, art show and costumed bash with djs inside + patio: Ceeplus Bloody Knives / Dj Cuba Gooding Jr. / Dj Dayta + Squincy Jones Reverberation Djs / On Hiatus / Prkl8r + more tba
Live performance by: //TENSE//
Art Show curated by: J. Paul Jackson
featuring: Death Head / Miguel C. / Ross Mohr / Lindsey Ball / Lillian Barrera and more...
Hosted by: Yougenious
@ Longhorn Cafe
Jeez that is one long listing!!!!!! But you get the idea.


Sunday, October 26

Workshophouston.org benefit
featuring Japanther, Killer Dreamer, American Sharks, The Mathletes, Grrrl Parts, Fat Tony
@ Caroline Collective (4820 Caroline)
starts at 4PM $6.00
Drum and electronics pop duo Japanther may be fun and catchy but they still can't make synchronized swimming cool (link). That's OK they'll be playing at Caroline Collective where they will be far far far away from any man made swimming holes. Party party American Sharks should cause quite a fury. The Joe Mathletic brainy pop songs about robots and unicorns coming from the Mathletes should make you feel like the creative lazy-ass you are. Oh sure the Simpsons got a record deal ages ago but who'd have known that Springfield's resident mob boss would kick out such booty shakin' jams?

They Who Sound Presents
Sandy Ewen and Chuck Roast
@ Avant Garden (6PM)
This week's TWS presents two sets of improvised music. You may recognize the name Chuck Roast from Vinyl Edge and KTRU's Genetic Memory, well here is your chance to this Houston icon perform live.

Rabid Rabbit (ex-Electric Set)/A Thousand Cranes
@ Walter's on Washington
Rabid Rabbit is a heavy trio who should like a slow sludgy haze of sonic pot smoke from one pretty damn heavy gravity bong. A Thousand Cranes are the results of a scientific experiment where all band members were raised solely on the music of Florian Frike and made to fend for themselves with low-fi equipment. We'll call this experiment a success.


Polysics / Jaguar Love / Black Gold
@ The Meridian
Japanese Devo-tees Polysics sure have some neat jumpsuits but they ain't got nothin' on Vicente Vernandez.


Monday, October 27

Shang-a-lang / God Equals Genocide / Dude Jams / Matadors of Shame
@ The Mink
(FREE 21+ Doors 8 Bands 9)
High energy poppy garagey New Mexico dudes who have the balls to name themselves after a bête noire Bay City Rollers song.


The Thief & The Architect
@ Boondocks
Boondock's Monday night series.


Tuesday, October 28

Magnolia Electric Co. / David Vandervelde / Tre Orsi
@ Walter's on Washington
Jason Molina's brand of Americana is always a treat.

Danzig/Dimmu Borgir/Moonspell/Winds of Plague/Skeletonwitch @ House of Blues
The great literary critic Glen Danzig will be giving a lecture tonight at the House of Blues.

......


Wednesday, October 29

Greg Ashley/Black Black Gold
@ Cactus Music (5:30PM)
Much like the show on Thursday (see below) but you can shop while you listen.

Lover! / Black Black Gold / The Caprolites
@ The Mink
Rich Reatard (Lost Sounds, Reatards, Knaughty Knights, American Death Ray) and Greg Roberson (ex-Reigning Sound and the final version of Arthur Lee's LOVE) drop some 60's garage pop. Toss in the International Artists psych of BBG and the pasadena garageers The Caprolites and you have one very groovy show. Not sure if it's true but the Caprolites think that Greg Ashley is playing this too.

TV On The Radio / The Dirtbombs
@ House of Blues
I'll grant you it's a good bill but I'd rather see the Dirtbombs in a stinky club with vile restrooms.


Thursday, October 30

Greg Ashley/Airon Paul Dugas/Black Black Gold
@ JD Tucker's House at 901 Eleanor (BYOB)
Houston's freaky neo-Texas psychedelia ex-pat Greg Ashley return to Houston is always a treat. Sure it been years since Houston's Mirrors broke-up but he carries the torch lit by that band on the West Coast. Local Folkie Airon Paul Dugas has been raising lots of ears over the last few months with his earnest and emotive performances. Speaking of Texas psychedelia, Black Black Gold channel that early Texas psych to the point where if someone told you this was a long lost International Artists band you might actually fall for it.

Burn The Boats / Hell City Kings / Dickey Hands / Jewel Rifle
@ Rudyard's
Hell City Kings - always a hoot.

The Music Crumudgeon's preview for Friday October 24, 2024

Friday, October 24
OK what the hell is with you, Friday? Talk about front-loading a week! OK fine! I'll give you all of today and plug the rest of the week Saturday morning. For today here is what the citizens of Montrose will have to choose between.

Health / The McKenzies / B L A C K I E / The Wiggins / Female Demand / Rusted Shut / The Krinkles
@ Notsuoh (Doors 8PM)
Ok let's face it, the Wednesday deluge totally mucked things up. Robert from Indie Houston messaged me to tell me that The McKenzies were stranded then Omar said Health was stuck and soon the whole thing fell apart thanks the the wrath of mother nature. But you can't keep a good show down and now it's back and with a vengeance. Still only ten bucks but now (as if to thumb our noses at the gods) the show comes with the the sonic brutality of everyone's favorite lovable scumbags Rusted Shut plus the melodic early punky styling of the Krinkles. Man, it's going to be a freaking zoo on Main!

Here is the order as of 3:15Pm today.

Mckenzies
Female Demand
The Wiggins
B L A C K I E
HEALTH
Muzak John
Krinckles
Rusted Shut
plus 4 more bands (maybe)

Pierced Arrows / Rustler / Motion Turns It On
@ Rudyard's
Fans of the eternally cool Dead Moon were pretty bummed when the band called it quits after 20 years. Of course, we didn't believe it could be so - after all, the band had seemed to be one of rock's purest expression of angsty driving rock and roll jitters - and clearly Fred and Toody Cole weren't buying it either because here they are with their new band Pierced Arrows ripping it like the Dead Moons never died. To make this even more cool you have the ever clever Rustler who were wowing audiences a few months back with their instrumental whimsy only to disappear into the aether. Well, they're back too! Motion Turns It On is a band that likely couldn't stop if it wanted to. Like a shark, it has to move or die. And move they do with a wild crazy abandon of frenetic instrumentals that will leave you as breathless as running a marathon.

Art Opening:
Philip Durbin's A Coarse Portal
@ ArtStorm
with DJ Ceeplus Bad Knives and PRKL8R
7-10PM
@ Artstorm inside Caroline Collective (4828 Caroline St.)

I'm not an art critic; all I know is there is free beer. I kid of course! There is more to Artstorm openings than just free beer. Artstorm openings are always great fun and the music tonight along with Philip Durbin's "compilation of psychedelic paintings, prints and wearable art" will be a good way to kick off your evening. C'mon! How can you not go?!! OK, if for some inexplicable reason you can't make it out for the opening, note that the exhibition is on view from October 24 through November 22, 2024. Got it? Good.


NO THANKS FEST (Day 1)
Featuring
Branch Dividian (1am), Trifle Tower (12am), Rageous Bros (11pm - last show), Warcola, Pools, Vaste Burai
@ Emory, Texas
So you want to leave town, whip out the camping equipment, and wear black? Hey, you are in luck! No Thanks Fest is "An annual DIY fest on 1200 acres of beautiful land in Emory Texas with camping the entire weekend". Yes that's right! 1,200 acres circle pit - your dreams have come true. (Check out Saturday's line up with the ever awesome Dissent.)

Watain / Withered / Book of Black Earth / Ritual Killer
@ Walter's on Washington
Aww, just look at 'em. Aren't they simply adorable? Swedish Black Metal band Watain celebrates 10 years of blood, Satan, and, ya know, all that dark stuff. Just the stuff to rock when yr. blogging at 3am.




ALSO HAPPENING

Mechanical Boy (CD release)/Thee Armada/The Last Place You Look/Velora/The Tastydactyls
@ Fitzgerald's
We always try to mention music release shows.

Take 5 with Health

Photo Ulrike Biets (Link)

Health is a furious mix of drums, noisy guitars, and electronics. Being a band that can shift into a slow smooth groove then abruptly jump into a jittery beat or plow into a noisy hail of beats and sound, their songs have a disjointed unity in construction that makes the whole thing seem to barely hold together yet somehow they do and in this very adventurous way that leaves the audience unprepared as to where they are going next. Check out their first eponymous album to hear the band in its more raw and frenzied state but if you prefer something a bit more ass-shakin', fear not, the band has kindly provided you with a remix album, //DISCO - allowing myself and Omar to get all fisticuffs as to which is the better album. (Mind you, Omar has far better dance moves than I so we both have our inherent biases.) Call them an ADD band if you must but one thing is for sure: theirs is a band dynamic that makes for an exiting live show. And what luck, the LA quartet is performing tonight, Wednesday Oct. 22nd, at Numbers with The McKenzies, B L A C K I E, The Wiggins, and Female Demand. Health's John Famiglietti (Bass, Zoothorn, and Percussion) was kind enough to play five question and pass his ZZ Top Quiz with flying colors.


1 - 2) How do you approach composing these songs and how did the band evolve that sound?

JOHN: The evolution was not planned. When the band first came together we had no idea what we wanted to play we were just all very passionate about making music etc. We first began writing much more traditional songs all guitar based and really hated it. Desperate to do something new we began recklessly experimenting. Writing songs via written diagrams, and concepts, etc. Also nothing is random, we practice this shit over and over until its tight.

3) How do you see the songs differing in sound and approach when they are played live when compared to the album?

JOHN: They're supposed to be the same. But I'm often told they're completely different...certain production flourishes were taken with the album but the songs are the same. I think the recording sound we adopted inhibited alot of the brutality of the songs live accidentally. We wanna fix this with the next album (recording analog in a studio). Also live, songs always end up much faster, we don't plan it, we just get amped. Also volume is the key. The album is intended to be listened to at a very high volume. Live, you cant turn it down.

4) The drums are one of the highlights if not my favorite aspect on the first album. They are the engine that frantically pushes the band of the rails on songs like say Crimewave. The remix album on the other hand entirely misses this and dumbs down that material. What is the point of the remix album when the original material was so unique and spot-on?

JOHN: Whoa. Loaded. The remixes and //DISCO as a project are supposed to exist completely separate from the original material. One of the worst things about most remixes is that they cheapen the original and detract from the album. //DISCO is its own thing, and we chose remixers that would make a new song that would live on its own on the dancefloor.*

5) Your music clearly has a limited appeal – I don't see Zoothorns or Crimewave hitting the top 40 pop charts – yet, despite this, you guys have been very successful with your album and live shows in regards to how well it has been received by music fans and critics. Why do you think this music is so off-putting to so many other people – what are they missing?

JOHN: Its been very surprising, we never expected this warm reaction to abrasive music. We don't want to be a niche band, were trying to be what we imagine a modern hard rock band should be. We will never lessen the intensity, but I think with certain structuring (i.e. more repetition) we can rope the unconverted. I'm sure of it. People will rock again.

Bonus ZZ Top Question: Which member of ZZ Top does not sport a beard?

Bonus: Frank Beard of course. I saw a pic of Billy Gibbons the other day and dude was SKINNY as hell!!!!!

Health perform with The McKenzies, B L A C K I E, The Wiggins, and Female Demand at Numbers $10 Doors at 8:30PM (Poster by Michael Rodriguez)

Oh and here is a video from Pitchfork TV:


Links:
Health

*Band Camp 101: Note John didn't get huffy but with humor and grace defended the album well. Kudos. And for the record, Omar loves Health's //Disco.

May the Force of Garage Rock Pizza Be With You!

Mention it before I did:

Jack Of Heart & Welfare Mothers
@ SoundExchange
7PM EARLY/FREE/FREE BEER

But mention not Free Pizza I did! (Wooo!) Journey to Numbers to see the awesome Health show at Numbers you must! But free food and beer at Sound Exchange, also a must. There is no try, there is only do!

The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of October 17, 2024

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON
The show we hate the most.

Saturday October 18th
Commerce Street Arts Foundation Benefit
The Jonbenet / A Dream Asleep / Balaclavas / Basses Loaded / Bridge & Tunnel
2215 Commerce St.
$10 8PM
Complimentary Food and Drinks. Plus Fire Spinners, Belly Dancers, Aerosol Warfare Installation, and Body Painting.

This week we swam in shows whose sauce was indeed awesome but we have to go with the one show that we hate most. Why do we hate it? Is it because it's for a great cause? No, that's a good thing. Commerce Street has been a Houston institution and the idea of trying to raise money to buy it from the current owners is a noble one. Is it the Jon Benet's heavy ass shows, the passionate performances of Balaclavas, or the fact that Eric I Heart U added Bridge and Tunnel to this bill at the last minute? No way, those are all awesome and great! What? The complimentary food & drinks, fire spinners, and Art? No, also mostly cool (admittedly the body painting is pretty passe). Oh wait, Basses Loaded is playing their last show? Yes! That's it! Here are one of Houston's most inventive and clever bands. A band could be a one note gimmick but instead actually shines because of great musicianship and they can write some pretty great songs. Why they are calling it quits is their business but for us it is a dark day in Houston. Go and see them as this will be your last chance and they are really really that good!

ALSO THIS WEEK

Friday, October 17th

Tambersauro (record release) / listenlisten / Eat Grapes / Hollywood Black
@ The Mink (8PM, $5)
Oh man this is sweetness. Tambersauro's new album is like the holy grail of prog and if you saw them at the block party you'd know how crazy they can be with their time signatures and performance. Toss in the neo-folk listenlisten and Eat Grapes (Tyler from the ever brilliant Balaclavas) and you've got yourself one sweet show. Oh hell, let's throw in the ever popular Hollywood Black too. Why not?

Wicked Poseur/ The Secret Prostitutes / The Homopolice
@ 2220 Commerce
Ouch! That's cool local show number 2 for this Friday. First ya got the Beau Beasley Spain Coloured Orange tribute band - The Homopolice. Coolness! That's followed by the Chris Ryan fueled Secret Prostitutes. Super awesome coolness! Then Arthur Bates/Chris Cascio kill you as Wicked Poeseur. Super mega awesome coolness raised to the 20th power!

Opeth / High on Fire / Baroness / Burn the Boats (aftershow)
@ Warehouse Live
How do you make a name for yourself in Sweedish metal? Yeah you could got all goth, burn a church, kill your bassist or whatnot but that's so passe. Hey, here's an idea add some acoustic guitars, some piano, and why not just put a picture of a pretty orchid. Well, too bad Opeth did that 13 years ago so yr gonna have to come up with something else by yourself.

Bart Davenport / Elaine Greer
@ Walter's on Washington
Oakland lounge/soul/popster Bart Davenport goes head to head with one of our finest folky pop grande dames - Elaine Greer.

Barkus Sly & the Golden Egg / We Both Know / Feast of Dead Animals / Mako / Komarov / Stasis.Death
@ Notsuoh
Ooooh Barkus has some sweet crazy screamy metallic punky prog action going on. Nice! The rest of this bill looks promising too.

The Backsliders / Electric Attitude / Lucas Gorham
@ Rudyard's
Lucas killed at the block party with his improv slide guitar and later in the Satin Hooks doin' that throat thing. I dunno if he's going the experimental/improv route or the more straight rock but is should be worth showing up early for if you're headed out to this one.

Reverend Horton Heat / Asleep at the Wheel / Gary Clark Jr. / Whiskey River Revival
@ House of Blues
Meh. Reverend Horton Heat are OK, I guess, and Asleep at the Wheel play some nice Texas swing and Whiskey River Revival....Wait! isn't that the lead singer for Hell City Kings doing some lap-steel driven country? Awesome.


Saturday, October 18

Bring Back The Guns / Bridge & Tunnel
@ The I Heart U Space (7397 Ashcroft)
Wooo BBTG at the I Heart U space. Their Block Party show was pretty loose and rollickin' fun. New York's Bridge and Tunnel play some nice indie pop with some lovely melodic and fluid guitar work. So this should be pretty sweet.

Wanda Jackson
@ The Continental Club
Hot Damn! Miss Let's have a Party herself, Wanda Jackson, was doin' Rockabilly back when it wasn't considered very ladylike to do so. She may be gettin' on in years but I hear she done puts on a fine show even to this day.

The Golden Boys / Guitars / Black Black Gold
@ Rudyard's
This just popped out of nowhere. Dallas pop punk band the Golden Boys with the Monocles/Alarma/Lenny Briscoe mash-up Guitars and the Texas Psych sounds of Black Black Gold. Way to try to sneak a solid show under our radar, but it won't work!

Girl Talk / Hearts of Darkness / Grand Buffet
@ Warehouse Live
Yay Girl Talk and his copyright-lawyer aneurysm inducing mash ups. Oh and it's all ages and free if you go to their sponsor's website (Link)

DemonFest 2024, featuring
Temple of Wrath, Blind Sanctity, Burn The Wicked, Last Rosary, Agony Within,Lycophile, Bloodvoid, El Desmadre, Burnt Face Jack, Cerebral Down, Cain Was Able, Blunt30, Fleshhook,Krankshaft, Ethreal, Synikal, & Bitchslicer
@ Broadway Billiards (Pasadena)
OK Normally I keep my shows within the loop but I have to mention this metal fest because you have the following words DemonFest, Broadway, Billiards, and Pasadena just thrown out there as if that isn't one seriously weird juxtaposition. PS. El Desmadre is playing. Yesssss!.

House of Blues Grand Opening,
featuring The Blues Brothers Formal Classic Revue
@ House of Blues
Hey remember the scene in Animal House with the folk singer in the staircase? John Belushi where are you when we need you?


Monday, October 20th

The Ton Tons / Flowers to Hide
@ Boondocks
Yes, the Ton Tons are back! YESSSSS!!!!! Need I say any more? OK it's free. More, you say? OK Flowers to Hide opens. Now go.

The Ting Tings / The Watermarks
@ House of Blues
Cute melodic dancey guilty pleasure of the week direct from the UK.


Tuesday, October 21st

Jordan / This Year's Tiger / Barkus, Sly, and the Golden Egg / Fire Team Charlie
@ Walter's on Washington ($7)
Well this might be good or this might be bad but Myspace is jacking with me with that damn "scan your PC for viruses" advert that I can't believe they allow. Oh wait it's myspace! Well hey they came all the way from France, I'll mention it.

Janet Jackson/LL Cool J
@ Toyota Center
Wardrobe malfunction queen and the white-stick deodorant king take you on a trip on the wayback machine.


Wednesday, October 22nd

Jack Of Heart & Welfare Mothers
@ SoundExchange
7PM EARLY/FREE/FREE BEER
Wooo Garage rock straight from France and the Welfare Mothers to boot!!! Seriously, If you don't go. I am so hating you. This is going to be increduble and it will cost you is nothing...though really you should throw-in some money in when they pass the hat. The great thing is after this show you can then go to....

Health / The McKenzies / B L A C K I E / The Wiggins / Female Demand
@ Numbers
A friend of mine from New Zealand went raving about Health and I can see why with the whole furious drumming, the crazy guitar action, and the furious energy of their recordings, you just have to know this is going to be great live. But the whole bill is just as hot. Check it The McKenzies whose pop could not be stopped by a power outage at the Block Party, B L A C K I E who always steals the Block Party with his buddies Cop Warmth, the ever endearing Wiggins with his futuristic-retro pop, and Female Demand who seemed to get a lot of high praise from people I spoke with at the Block Party. Oh yeah and we have something to do with this. :P


Thursday, October 23rd

The Bermondsey Joyriders (ex-Cock Sparrer/Chelsea) / Born Liars
@ Rudyard's
Ya gotta love Cock Sparrier (Gary Lamming's old band back in the day). Not only were they hugely influential in the proto-punk days but they gave Malcolm McClaren the finger when he offered to sign them. Why? That bastard wanted them to cut their hair and didn't buy them a round of beers. That story just melts my old-punk heart. Opening are Born Liars who carry that old snotty torch with pride.

Butthole Surfers / Whorehound
@ The Meridian
Hey remember when Gibby Hanes used to come down to Lexington to score heroin? Ha, yeah good times. Oh hey, look, Whorehound is opening. Awesome!

Weezer / Angels and Airwaves / Tokyo Police Club
@ Reliant Arena
Weezer. There I said it.

Band Camp - We propose some topics too hot for those poseurs!

Band Camp is coming to Caroline Collective this Sunday October 9th. I say fuck that noise. Ian Wells, Phillip Beck, and Matt Wettergreen are totally overlooking the real issues facing the Houston Music Community. So, we're having our own band camp next month at the Ferrel's Ice Cream Parlour in Almeda Mall. It will be an entire day of real talk that is unflinching in its gaze at the Houston music community. Here is a listing of our speakers and some of the topics they will be discussing in depth:

Ramon Medina (Free Press Houston / undisclosed band)

Who is bringing beer to rehearsal?

What happened to our band fund?

Where to score weed for Sebadoh!

Beau Beasely says "Have no idea what The Wild Moccasins sound like but their singer looks amazing. Sold." Does he mean Zahira or Cody?

Marshall Preddy (Bright Men Of Learning)

Smoke machine or Dry Ice? SHADOWS OR FOG"

Understanding footwear trends: Why New Balance are still the choice for Bands Who Love America!

Steven Garcia (Something Fierce)

Dude, I didn't even wake up until after lunch. 5a.m. drive from Austin! It's also my birthday and apparently Niki is cooking everyone some excellent breakfast tacos! YESSSSSSSSSS!

Matt Brownlie (Bring Back The Guns)

All The Unclaimed [FFG] Gear In Our Practice Space: How much do you think we could get for it?

Justin Crane (NonAlignment Pact/ Ex-Jessica Six/ Ex-TRU Local Show)

Adjusting your expectations: What to do when you realize that nobody recognizes your genius.

Ryan ADR Clark (The Skyline Network)

Style and Beauty: There's a reason one of them is named after Beau.

Practicing: It's hard not to be a shitty band when you're a shitty band.

Rosa Guerrero (Mutant Hardcore Flower Hour/ Ditchwater Records)

Did you get the memo? How not knowing the difference between a circle pit and a mosh pit can make you "false".

Step by Step Authenticity: How make an "old school" punk rock flyer.

Moshi-moshi: How to pick up and phone and invite people to your show.

Beau Beaseley (Homopolice/ AG82)

Don Walsh or Jandek?

Chris Cascio (Wicked Poseur)

someone gives you a hit of acid before you play. is it wrong to start tripping before you play, or is it a requisite?

April 5k (Alarma / Guitars)

How many guitars does Guitars need to truly be guitars?

What is the minimum amount of novelty a band must display in order to be accepted as a "must see" band in this town?

What is the ratio of cover songs to likability for a Houston band?

How much time do you have to spend doing blow with promoters before they start to hand over spots on the big shows?

Ben Murphy (Bright Men Of Learning/Tody Castillo)

Why no number of flyers posters or myspace bulletins will make your band good.

Melissa Lonchambon (Sharks and Sailors)

Shirt right-side out? Or inside out?

Band Camp Runs from 12-5pm at Caroline Collective this Sunday October 19th More info at http://barcamp.org/BandCamp

Take Five with Awesome Color

Remember that scene in 2024: A Space Odyssey where the ape approaches the monolith, grabs a jawbone, then proceeds to mercilessly slaughter the rival tribe of apes? If you can imagine being on the receiving end of the jawbone, that is pretty much what I got when I saw Awesome Color last year. The band just played with a cro-mag fury that left you stunned and helpless. Derek Stanton’s guitar played with a chaotic fury while bassist Michael Troutman held down a heavy-ass raga in the dirty muddy lowlands and drummer Allison Busch pounded her kit with a precise assault that was as powerful as it was frightening. That and they were fucking loud and could hold down some of the most deadly grooves you could imagine! They were less a rock band than a tsunami. They seemed not mere mortals but a force of nature.

This week this force of nature returns for a fourth visit to the space city where, tonight at the Mink, you can experience it for yourself. Thankfully, the mini-van driving/skateboarding power-up trio whose new album Electric Aborigines is out now on Ecstatic Peace were kind to agree to play five questions with us.

1) First lets talk about tone. Last I saw you guys, Derek had this three combo amp set-up with the most insane "Ron Asheton would weeping it's so good" tone I'd ever heard. How did you come up with that set-up and can you discuss the importance of tone in Rock?

Derek: I use a small 15 watt Gibson amp. No pedals. That's how I like it. The small amps break up easier and get more sustain, depending on the amp, at low volumes. Also I can fit it into a mini van. I also use a small Vox practice amp and hold it close to my pick ups for crazy feedback and use it like a pick. I haven't seen anyone else do this in the same manner. Ron Asheton uses a Marshall stack and a wah wah, we sound nothing alike*. but it's important to have a tone you like; it makes you play better. I might switch it up to a louder bigger amp one day, but at the moment we cannot afford to drive anything bigger than a mini van.

2) Volume! You guys are fucking loud . I mean reeeeeally fucking loud. I mean like really really fucking loud. What's your freaking problem?

We are not a loud band in practice. Our equipment is small but sounds nasty. Hopefully the sound guys keep turning it up, until we can afford those Marshall stacks.

3 & 4) Allison is a fucking amazing drummer she just holds this tight backbeat and just never lets up and she beats the shit out of her poor kit to the point where it almost upstages the rest of the band. She's not pulling any fancy polyrythms or anything like that but she plugs away with an uncompromising Charlie Watts precision...well if Watts was a gorilla. What did your drums ever do to you? Can you talk about the merits of "simple" drumming that emphasizes feel over flashy technique?

Allison: I don't really think about it. It's more fun to play hard and fast. I just try to play along with Derek & Michael and get a killer rhythm going.

5) Your songs tend to focus on the Chimp Rock by which I mean primal knuckle-scraping music that circumvents the rational and logical side of your brain and jumps straight to that caveman gray matter. Can you elaborate on music connecting straight on this abstracted emotional level that is of-the-moment as opposed to say Rush?

Michael: Focusing on knuckle-dragging seems like an oxymoron. That said, I'm a big fan of Kudgel, the original Chimp-rockers. Playing music to FEEL good is also what we're about

Bonus ZZ Top Question) Billy Gibbons used to come to a bookstore where I worked on occasion to buy African Art books. He gave me a ZZ Top Key Chain and explained to me the origin. What is the ZZ TOP design based on?

AC: Reminds us of lightning bolts.**


Awesome Color perform Tuesday October 14th with Paris Falls, Guitars, and Bobby DJ @ The Mink. That's tonight!!!

Credits:
Photography by Stefano Giovannini (Link)


Links:
Awesome Color on Myspace (Link)
Awesome Color (Link)
Ecstatic Peace (Link)


*Just to clarify, my question was never intended to suggest any comparison in tone. I was just saying Asheton would break down and cry like a girl from the goodness of the tone. That being said, I do think that there is a Stooges Funhouse quality to the playing. Not so much in a particular tone and definitely not in composition but I'm talking more that unrelenting T.V. Eye kind of energy from a riff that never lets up. I love when someone pulls that shit off. One thing though I never realized until now was the fact that I've been misspelling Ron Asheton's name as Ashton since high school. Nutters!

**Answer: Awesome Color are actually close. According to Gibbons, it was based on Shango the Yorùbá god of thunder and lightening. Congratulations Awesome Color we'll call that a win.

Music with Jameson & Lone Star: Fall Westheimer Blockparty 10/11/2008

I hope you guys had as much fun as I had this Saturday. I sure had a blast listening to great music, running into just about everyone I know, and it's nice to see Westheimer with some hustle and bustle on its sidewalks.

Some highlights? OK! The Wild Moccasins played a great show outside Mango's on a rickety stage that seemed to be on the verge of collapse from all the hopping and general Moccasins shenanigans. The added amusement for me was watching as my very serious and artistically minded six-year-old tried in futility to find a spot on stage stable enough for him to draw the five popsters. Damn it, how can I express myself artistically if you guys keep hopping around up there! Hearing Paul Winstanley and Lucas Gorham perform outside La Strada was wonderful too. I hadn't heard Paul take a bass guitar to the edge like that in ages and it was wonderful and challenging to hear it again. Also fun was the (this time official) Cop Warmth and B L A C K I E gorilla set. Cop Warmth, for the uninitiated, is the musical equivalent of children running around the playground in pure chaotic frenzied joy. My favorite moment of the set was when Craig, running into the audience, made a woman squeal in fright. B L A C K I E meanwhile doesn't so much a rap as spout words like a steel-driver laying down iron with every ounce of energy at his disposal. Balaclavas, at the acoustically pleasing space behind the Austin Layne Hotel, performed one of the best sets of the day as they kicked-out amazing new material that reminded you just how unique their sound is and how furious their shows can be. How they are not one of Houston's biggest draws, I'll never understand. Over at Mango's, as we were waiting for Tambersauro, we got some drama as some drunk Asian woman was challenging another woman to some fisticuffs. Unfortunately, the fisticuffs did eventually occur outside but while no one was getting hurt, it was pretty amusing theatre of the absurd. Tambersauro though wasn't about to be upstaged by a lone drunk and proceeded to tear into a raging set that almost made me forget that I was trying to see five bands in that time slot. Luckily a friend who knew this, poked me and pointed to her watch. Thanks mon ami! The McKenzies were quite a sight surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of fans who had joined them on stage. Ah, those Houston pop bands sure know how to work-up a crowd. Buxton closed out the outdoor shows with an amazing set that had the entire crowd at the Austin Layne Hotel enraptured. After the first set, the audience clearly wanted more and thankfully JD (Secret Saturday Shows, Guitars, Lenny Briscoe, etc) demanded they play a few more and Sergio Trevino somehow agreed to it in his typical sheepish manner then proceeded to treat us with a work in progress that was much better than I think they realized. I think Trevino and company work their music with such expert care that they seem a bit worried about showing some rough edges. That's OK because there is a bit of excitement about seeing a band not exactly knowing where they are going with a song and that vulnerability - that putting yourself out there with no net - is charming when you are as good a band as Buxton. Now for me that was pretty much the proper end of the Block Party for me. I was pretty tired by then but, like the Terminator, the Block Party just wouldn't quit. Don't get me wrong, I saw some amazing sets afterwards like Something Fierce laying down some serious and furious pop-punk and Satin Hook's Lucas Gorham using a Tuvan throat singing technique for backing vocals but by the time the Jon Benet plowed into their set, I was physically fatigued. I'll admit it. Another Block Party has left me beaten and bloody on the canvas. So, what's new? At least I had fun getting pummeled.

Now one last thing before I get to the photos: Kudos to our heroic and fearless FPH leader Omar. Omar is the general behind all these operations; he books all the bands and gets everyone involved to little acclaim. That's largely because he's not one to self-aggrandize but, instead, seriously believes in the community of artists and people that live in this city. I for one, seeing a small bit of what he does behind the scenes, am always impressed at how the guy pulls it off twice a year. Of course Omar can't do it himself and it's only because of the efforts of all the local businesses, bands, artists, and the community in general coming together that makes these things so special. That's also because, unlike the latter years of the wholly unrelated Westheimer Street Festival, this event isn't just about attracting sponsors but about building and celebrating a community. That's the way these things should be. So thanks everyone who helped and came out. I don't know about you but I'm ready for another round next Spring.

The Wild Moccasins as drawn by my six year old son who was quite
irked that the stage shook from all the jumping while he was trying to draw.
Ironically, he then went and jumped in a trampoline for the next hour.

The actual Wild Moccasins.

Ghost Town Electric: think of them as basses loaded with one bass!

Paul Winstanly and Lucas Gorham played
a gorgeous improvisational set.

B L A C K I E recovering behind the amps

The Wild Moccasins chill, a woman looks aghast, and
hey, look it's John Sears peeking past Zahira as B L A C K I E rages.

Cop Warmth the Three Musketeers of chaos!

John Muzak -
The Wizard lays down magic sounds on Westheimer.

Lenny Briscoe as played by the late Jerry Orbach
never rocked this hard...

...or was this fashionable.

A wind-blown Eastern Sea.

Balaclavas - on fire!!!

Tambersauro prog-rocking the primary colors

Listen-up it's Listenlisten

Where's The McKenzies. See if you can find a Mckenzie
amongst these rambunctious fans on stage.

The Hates were very much loved by the people in the circle pit.

Rusted Shut - the band that (thank goodness) will not die!

Buxton roars through a mighty set!

Ewwww...Buxton's Chris Wise:
very very proud of his bleeding for his art.

If you had a white truck parked outside of Mango's and
found your back bumber smashed at the end of the evening.
You may want to contact Ryder truck rentals
and find out who was renting truck 445161 that night.

Wolves At The Door performing to an enthusiastic crowd.

Bring Back The Guns' Matt Brownlie vs. the mic stand.

Nikki of Something Fierce realizes that there is a giant bag of
Styrofoam peanuts behind them ready to pounce!

There's no need to fear, Satin Hooks is here!

Sadly, while he saved many lives from a gruesome
Styrofoam death, Kerry was not so lucky.

Links:
Complete Sets on my Flickr.
* Westheimer Block Party (Link)
* Bonus: B L A C K I E & Cop Warmth's Guerilla set (Link)

Oh and look:
Breakfast On Tour posted some pictures on their Flickr too (link)

A Chronological Guide to the Block Party

Hi fellow citizens of the greater city of Montrose,

Tomorrow is the Block party and I thought I'd provide you with a chronological list of who is playing and when. I had planned on making some suggestions but, you know, part of the block party isn't about seeing who you already know are great but hopefully to run into some bands that you've never seen. So I'm skipping that and letting you guys use your mouse to preview the bands. One thing to note about this list - the all day and late night events are all listed towards the bottom.

See you guys tomorrow. I'm pooped from copying and pasting. :\

---

11:00 AM

Guy Schwarz (Wake and Bake Blues Jam) - Numbers (Outside)

12:00 NOON

Estudiantes Social Club - Avant Garden (Outside)
The Goods - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Earnie Banks - Austin Layne Hotel
Trusty Tape Recorder- Numbers (Outside)
Check Other - Mango's (Inside)
Swans Will Attack - Mango's (Outside)
Hero- Numbers (Inside)

12:45 PM

Hueman - Avant Garden (Outside)
The Gold Sounds -Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Phillip Foshee- Austin Layne Hotel
Karina Nistal & Rebel Crew- Numbers (Outside)
Program- Numbers (Inside)
Campfire Stories- Mango's (Inside)

1:30 PM

KAM - Avant Garden (Outside)
Magnetic - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Dunnock's Ill Advisory- Austin Layne Hotel
GhostTown Electric- Numbers (Outside)
Room 101- Numbers (Inside)
Wild Moccasins - Mango's (Outside)
The Hangouts- Mango's (Inside)

2:15PM

Chase Hamblin - Avant Garden (Outside)
The Ultra Siberian Pant Factory - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
D.R.U.M. - Austin Layne Hotel
World's Most Dangerous - Numbers (Outside)
B Side - Numbers (Inside)
Searching for Signal - Mango's (Outside)
Female Demand- Mango's (Inside)

3:00PM

O Pioneers! - Avant
Garden (Outside)
Desmond Zavala - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
News on the March - Austin Layne Hotel
Hell City Kings - Numbers (Outside)
Mic Skills - Numbers (Inside)
The Mathletes - Mango's (Outside)
O'Doyle Rules - Mango's (Inside)

3:45PM

Sideshow Tramps - Avant Garden (Outside)
Generation Landslide - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Studemont Project- Austin Layne Hotel
American Sharks - Numbers (Outside)
Co-pilot - Numbers (Inside)
The Annoysters - Mango's (Outside)
Electric Attitude - Mango's (Inside)

4:30PM

Tha Fucking Transmissions - Avant Garden (Outside)
Alkari - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Guitars - Austin Layne Hotel
Swamp Fox- Numbers (Outside)
Dirty N Nasty- Numbers (Inside)
Poopy Lungstuffing - Mango's (Outside)
Dissent - Mango's (Inside)

5:15PM

Basses Loaded - Avant Garden (Outside)
Dizzy Pilot - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
The Literary Greats - Austin Layne Hotel
Spain Colored Orange - Numbers (Outside)
The Quietist - Numbers (Inside)
Riff Tiffs - Mango's (Outside)
Transmography - Mango's (Inside)

6:00 PM

Piano Vines - Avant Garden (Outside)
Lazlo - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Lenny Briscoe- Austin Layne Hotel
Come See My Dead Person- Numbers (Outside)
Muzak John - Mango's (Outside)

6:35PM

Eastern Sea- Mango's (Inside)

6:45PM

The Ton Tons - Avant Garden (Outside)
Dead Roses - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Balaclavas - Austin Layne Hotel
The Vettes - Numbers (Outside)
Delta Block - Mango's (Outside)

7:30PM

Free Radicals - Avant Garden (Outside)
Giant Princess - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Listen Listen- Austin Layne Hotel
The McKenzies - Numbers (Outside)
Death Hell Battle Tank - Mango's (Outside)
Tambersauro - Mango's (Inside)

8:05 PM

Giant Battle Monster- Mango's (Inside)

8:15 PM

Bear Claw - Avant Garden (Outside)
Half Nelson - Avant Garden (Upstairs)
Buxton- Austin Layne Hotel
The Hates - Numbers (Outside)
Rusted Shut - Mango's (Outside)

---

Numbers Late Night
($12) Beginning at 7:30PM

Antenna Inn
Lisa's Sons
Something Fierce
Satin Hooks
B L A C K I E
Bring Back the Guns
The Jon Benet
Voxtrot

Mango's (Inside) - Late Night

8:50 p.m. Wolves at the Door
10 p.m. Ozeal
10:45 p.m. Endangered Sea Lions

Avant Garden - Late Night ($5)

9:15 p.m.: Orents Stirner
10 p.m.: Tyagaraja
10:45 p.m.: Two Star Symphony
11:50p.m. Antarctica Starts Here

---

Throughout the day

Avant Garden (downstairs) - Reprogramm Lounge, hosted by Ceeplus Bad Knives

La Strada - DJs including D Major, Sasha Braverman, Henry Chow, Esteban Torres, Alex C, Fixture, Candice Elliott, DJ Pooks, Shina Rae

Gorilla Show - Cop Warmth undisclosed time and location

The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of October 10,2008

THIS WEEK'S SPOTLIGHT IS ON...

THE WESTHEIMER BLOCK PARTY

Jeez, like you couldn't see that coming!!

Hey c'mon, it's the biggest party for the City of Montrose and you are invited and it's gonna be free. Even the after party at Numbers (while not free) will be pretty bad-ass. So come on down even if it's only for a bit. You don't have to partake of the full buffet but just at least come on down and have a sample. I promise this will leave you more satisfied than Golden Corral ever will.

I'll post my planned route tomorrow where I'll highlight some artists but the Block Party is such a beast that for today I'll just toss you the posters and tourist information below. Click on the map and the stage guide to enlarge to image.

Westheimer Block Party Poster

Numbers After-Party Show Poster

Stage Guide
(Click to enlarge)

Block Party Map
(Click to enlarge)

ALSO THIS WEEK

Friday, October 10

Sideshow Tramps / Buxton
@ The Continental Club
Wow, is this an amazing bill or what? The Tramps are one of the hootinest hollerinest fun bands you can go see. It's like a tent revival with a whole lotta dancing and drinkin'. Buxton meanwhile are one of Houston's premiere bands that combine a heartfelt rootsy sensibility, sharp musicianship, and emotional songwriting that's sure to wow you. Seriously this show is gonna be the shit!

Monotonix / Dizzy Pilot / American Sharks
@ The Mink
Oh wait, this show is also going to be the freaking shit! Monotonix stole freaking SXSW last year with their antic driven high energy rock and roll. Sure the album is good but ask anyone whose seen them live and you'll know that Monotinix is a band to be experienced live. Make sure your upper body strength is up to the task though. The drummer being carried aloft on his bass drum by the audience is almost a requisite part of the show now. As if that isn't enough, openers Dizzy Pilot are one of Houston's loopiest guitar fired bands and American Sharks is now listed by Merriam Websters as a synonym for Party.

Orents Stirner / Alkari / Hearts of Animals
@ Rudyard's
Well,I have to say I wasn't too keen on the vocals on the original Orents Stirner CD - too melodramatic for my taste - but the live performance they have on their myspace works much better in that department and suggests they may be a more interesting beast live. Alkari quietly releases lovely Indie Pop CDs with some very pretty production. For me though, the big deal here is opener Hearts of Animals who's newest CD is a feast of lush low-fi goodness.

Laurie Anderson
Homeland
@ Wortham Center's Cullen Theater (8PM)
I jumped the gun on this one last week but Anderson's Multimedia shows are always an impressive and thought provoking tour de force. SPA brings Anderson's newest work Homeland to Houston which they describe as a "portrait of contemporary American culture [that] explores the current climate of fear and the obsessions with information and security." Coolness! If I had infinite cash reserves and a Time Tuner, I'd be so there.

Cat Power / Appaloosa / DJ FREDster (after show)
@ Warehouse Live
OK let me say it, the last Cat Power album of covers was a bore. Chan Marshall's phrasing is amazing but she's such a good writer that this kind of catalog padding is just annoying. Just sayin'. Anyhow here's your chance to see her Channess live in person. Should be solid!

Don't Fight It, featuring
Dave Wrangler, Piss Heavy, & Young Squaddy
@ Boondocks
Boondocks DJ. Nuff said.

Saturday, October 11

500 Megatons of Boogie / Wicked Poseur / data versus data
@ The Mink
The only band crazy enough to play a show the same night as the Block Party? Yeah 500 Megs would be the band. But you can't argue the guys put on a great bootie shaking show. While the technology is still in it's infancy our reading suggest that the band actually delivers 507.8962 Megatons of Boogie. Wicked Poseur and data versus Data haven't been measured yet but we suspect they could at least match them megaton by megaton. BONUS: If the stars align just right with the UPS truck, Wicked Poseur may have their new 7" available! Wooo!

The entirely unrelated to the block party
"West Fest After Party"
The Flamin' Hellcats / Wasted (Black Flag Tribute band)
2222 Morgan (6PM)
Well, While it starts during our Block Party, technically it is an After Party if you consider how many years it's been since West Fest took over the entire length of Westheimer. Technicalities aside, this started a tirade/flame war between Kerry of Satin Hooks and well just about everyone else on Hands Up Houston which made everyone's day in the office pass much faster than it would have otherwise. Thanks Kerry. FYI - Mickey T (Gorenado) and The Turbo Moto Motorcycle Club are putting it on.

Sunday, October 12

Paul Winstanley with The Nameless Sound Ensemble
@ Art League Houston 7PM (1953 Montrose Blvd.)
$10 General Admission, $8 Students, Everyone under 18 gets in for free.
Damn so I walk in to Dietrich's Coffee the other day and I see a poster and vocally say "Oh shit it's Paul!!!" Ya see, back in the late 80's (or was it the early 90's? I can't remember) Paul Guilford (as he was want to call himself) along with Dave Dove played some of the wildest improvisational music you could shake two sticks at. Fleece Records released one of their CDs (you may still find one at Sound Exchange if you are lucky) and they played some great shows during their time but sadly, Paul's visa ran out and he returned to his native New Zealand. So Imagine my thrill at seeing this poster hanging there. If you like your music joyful and challenging this is going to be your kind of show. oh and welcome back Paul!

Akimbo / Ghost Town Electric
@ The Mink
Akimbo are the heavy mother fucker. Dropping a bass and drum rhythm section in the Jesus Lizard mode and blood strained vocals that would likely make your ears bleed, the band can pack a wallop. You'd figure, after 10 years of delivering a pounding on fans, these Seattle assholes would at least get show some sympathy for their victims but listening to the new album Jersey Shores it's clear they show no mercy. Sunday night's show should leave you crying uncle before you leave.

Rock the Boat: Hurricane Ike Relief Concert, featuring
Pale, Deep Ella, Paris Green, & Morgue City
@ The Meridian
Hurricane Ike Benefit.


Monday, October 13

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's / David Vandervelde / Judgement Day / The Wild Moccasins
@ The Mink
Pretty pretty indie pop is what the Indianapolis collective known as Margot & the Nuclear So So's peddle in and it's a very pleasant and lush set of goods they are selling. For kookiness Oakland's Judgement day will be worth catching. They are a cellist and a violinist who play metal inspired instrumentals. Yeah, like I said kooky but somehow it's kind of charming. But the thing that makes me jump up and down for joy is the Wild Moccasins who are on the verge of releasing their next album hopefully in December.

Tha Fucking Transmissions
@ Boondocks
Oh shit the Transmissions. Likely Houston's most rockin' hip-hop band! Sharp as nails MC's and a rhythm section that's as good as Basses Loaded...oh wait.


Tuesday, October 14

Awesome Color / Paris Falls / Guitars / Bobby DJ
@ The Mink
Holy motherfucker! Awesome Color just hits every primeval chimp node in your brain and keeps pounding until you seizure. The opening line up alone great Booby DJ spins some lovely tunes, Guitars are aces too, and lets not forget Paris Falls whose spin on late era Beatles sounds is a must see but goddamn Awesome Color is the cherry on top of it all! We'll have a short 5 question interview with them on Tuesday just to remind you. Until then, check out this video if you don't believe me.



The Cardinals (Ryan Adams & co.)
@ Verizon Wireless Theater
I get a big meh from Ryan Adams. I dunno once he did the duet with Tina Turner it was all downhill*.

Neil Diamond
@ Toyota Center
I am I said! Fuck yeah. Go Neil! He may not have the mane or the manly chest hair of the Hot August Nights era but ya gotta give it up to the man for penning some very lovely pop songs back in the day.


Wednesday, October 15

A Place to Bury Strangers/Sian Alice Group/Ringo Deathstarr
@ Walter's on Washington
Brooklyn's A Place To Bury Strangers are often classified as shoegaze but to me they sound a bit earlier in their influence by mixing spacey Bauhaus guitars and early New Order beats. Bonus the guitarist makes guitar effects under the name Death By Audio (link). I liked the Total Sonic Annihilation - Sound Kill (Link) NEAT!


Thursday, October 16

Sunburned Hand of the Man
@ Rudyard's
SHOTM may be able to play some lovely straight ahead stuff but for the most part they don't keep things straight for long but almost immediately chart for the most perilous psych waters and despite all the chaos somehow get you through alive.


The Suspects
@ Discovery Green (downtown; free, 6:30PM)
Hey you don't watch that watch this!!!

*Yes it's a fucking joke. :P

Return of The Dead Milkmen

By Adam P. Newton

When treasured bands from one’s youth decide to play a reunion show, the brain is plagued with questions. “Will they suck or will it rock?” “Will my memories be tainted by this experience?” It’s understandable to be nervous. But what happens when an iconic, fun-loving band like The Dead Milkmen starts playing shows again? It just might be cause for celebration and a bit of over-the-top, ribald fun, since this four-piece punk act has always kept their tongues wedged firmly in their cheeks. Thus, since Rodney Anonymous, Joe Jack Talcum, Dean Clean, and Dandrew are out on the roads playing shows again, Free Press Houston decided to talk with the guys about getting back together for the first time in four years.

According to Rodney, “The impetus for the playing again was a combination of cash, boredom, and friendship, pretty much in that order. We got offered a decent amount of money to play, though for years now, people have been paying us not to play. It's healthy to shake up your life every now and then; plus, we all missed hanging out together.”

Sadly though, the band will be both missing and playing without bass player Dave Blood, who passed away in 2024.

“As for Dave, we miss him more with each passing day,” declared Rodney. “He was smart, funny, and wonderfully subversive. We were lucky to find Dandrew, whose playing style and sense of humor closely match Dave's.”

To some, it might be more notable that The Dead Milkmen chose Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest for their reunion, as opposed to the two other, larger, more notable music festivals in Austin.

“You mean the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and the Old Settler's Music Festival?” queried Dandrew. “They just didn't see appropriate. To me, at least.”

Joe summed it up by stating, ”It selected us.”

As with all reunion shows, fans are forced to wonder how the band’s material will hold up in 2024, since it’s been awhile since these songs have been in the popular consciousness.

Joe put it best when he responded, “I feel that our songs are still timeless classics, just like they were when we wrote them. It is probably a sad comment on the state of the world that they do hold up in 2024, though I'm still not sure what some of the lyrics actually mean.”

Or, as Rodney puts it, “At this point, I'm banking on the audience being so wasted that they mistake us for Bad Brains.”

Maybe it’s inevitable, but most bands who has been making music for over two decades are going to be peppered with questions from younger acts on how to survive in the music business.

After Dandrew exclaimed, “There's a music BUSINESS?!?”, Rodney replied, “Be polite to EVERYONE. Every soundperson, bartender, and bouncer has a story about the band that acted like a bunch of prima donnas. Don't be that band. No one will remember how well you played that solo, but they will remember whether or not you said ‘thank you’ and ‘please.’”

“Try to retain the rights to your music,” added Joe. “I know people give that advice all the time. I heard that advice a lot, but did not listen. Even if you do not believe in copyright, there is something now known as a Creative Commons license that can protect your music and keep you in control of it.”

At the end of the interview, the discussion focused on whether or not there is anyone on the contemporary music scene that is carrying forth the ethos at attitudes of The Dead Milkmen. Even though Joe asserted, “I don't really know of anyone carrying forth the ethos & attitudes of The Dead Milkmen. It may be that I'm not looking for them,” it was Rodney’s humorous, yet all-too-true answer that carried the day.

“I pray to Darwin that nobody is out there trying to emulate the DM, the same way that I recoil at the thought of a group trying to be The Byrds. That time has passed. It's time to be something new.”

I concur – something new would indeed be welcome on the scene. And besides, who needs a new version of The Dead Milkmen when the one we have already is still around playing shows?


The Dead Milkmen will be performing a reunion show at Fun Fun Fun Fest on November 8th and 9th in Austin, TX.

Music with Jameson & Lone Star: Quintron/Golden Triangle @ Walters & Exterminating Angels @ Rudz (AKA the show where I piss-off Miss Pussycat)

Well shit. It's not every night you get yelled at by Miss Pussycat - twice at that! Yeah, if you were at Friday's Quintron show you likely saw a very very very angry Miss Pussycat yell at some guy in a polyester shell shirt on the side of the stage then come back and do it again. That was me! So you are probably wondering what that was all about. Well, honestly I'm not 100% sure. My camera has been a bit dodgy on focusing since the fatal Fatal Flying Guilloteens show at the Proletariat nigh a year ago. That means I take a lot of shots to get a few good one and a hella lot of shots if I'm avoiding the flash. Because of this, you will usually see me shoot a hell of a lot of shots for like the first half of a band's set then settle in and only take a few more if there is some amusing action. So, here I am on the side of the stage - or one step down from the stage to be exact - and standing very still there for quite some time taking shots. It's low-light so I'm trying to stay still to not add any jitter to the camera and even go so far as to hold my breath when I click. Since keeping steady is paramount, I notice across the stage are three mixed drinks atop the Leslie speaker there. Oh great I think, I'll use the speaker not a foot away from me as a makeshift tripod (I've done this before by the way) and try to get the shot from there. Well no sooner do I extend my camera out there but across comes an enraged Miss Pussycat. Ok Ok I guess she's touchy about her equipment. Fair enough, I figure and go back to shooting from where I was and boom I get yelled at again. Here is the sequence:

Check it - it's like a Zapruter film!

Back and to the left.

Back...and to the left...

AAAAAAAAAnd...Busted!

Oh Shit I've pissed off Miss Pussycat!
Here she comes!

Now, to be honest, I'm still not sure what particular thing set her off. I wasn't on the stage (and someone at one point even jumped on stage to dance) so that couldn't have been it. It wasn't the picture taking as many people were taking pictures (one guy with an SLR was just a foot away from where I was standing) so that wasn't it. Putting my camera on the Leslie? Maybe but I'd figure the multiple mixed drinks atop the other one didn't suggest they were puritanical about that issue. No, her explanation was that I was "distracting her." OK. I guess standing still just off stage with a polyester shell shirt was possibly freaky and in a room full of dancing people it may have been even off-putting. I'll never know but whatever the case none of this misunderstanding would be funny if she hadn't very graciously apologized after the show after I approached her to apologize for upsetting her and explain what I was doing. She graciously bent over backwards to apologize but whatevs, it's her stage and her reasons are her's and I totally respect that. The lesson here is to find the band before the show and make sure that they know you aren't some nut job but that you are there to cover the band.

But drama aside, what I came to cover was the fact that Pegstar had brought Miss Pussycat and Mr Quintron to town and that meant a great show. Opening was Brooklyn's Golden Triangle who were high on the concept thing. A drummer in a turban, three women wigged out all Go-Go, and a band mixing 60s revebed Fender amp garage rock with femme B52 harmonies. They were high energy, lots of fun, and visually kooky and everyone got a kick out of 'em. If you were close to the stage the harmonies were a but hard to make out but the guitars, drums, and bass alone were great if you dig the garage rock. The greatest garage rock band ever? Nah, but was it fun and people were dancing - that is solid in my book.

That was followed by Miss Pussycat and her puppet show which I've always dug since I heard Free Guitar Lessons for Animals ages ago. Here, for those who missed it, is the Cliff's Notes version:

Evil Witch opens an Art Museum

Trixie and Marsha visit the museum where
Marsha is turned into a statue. Oh No!

Trixie asks Santa Claus for her friend back.

Santa Claus obliges by getting all Rambo

Resulting in a happy ending
and errrr...puppet gore

After that sillyness, things got to shaking again with Mr Quintron and his Drum Buddy (that's that crazy spinning light machine). Now a Quintron show falls somewhere between a 60's B-Movie teen dance party scene, a church revival, and a dancy version of the Carnival of Souls soundtrack. With two Leslie speakers at either end of the stage (spinning speaker exposed), crazy lights, and his organ dressed up as a car, it was like a junkyard of weirdness put together by McGyver and your crazy uncle. The highlight this night (as with the last time I saw him) was "Swamp Buggy Badass" where Quintron sings about being a badass then goes into the audience to tell you who there is a badass and who there is a motherfucking badass. Of The Kimonos - Major Miller - badass, Gina Miller - motherfucking badass, and Kenny neither (but, in his defense, he was off to the corner). So it was good groovin' silliness all around that had the peeps hoppin' and dancing-up the night and made me lose track of time for my appointment at Rudz.

I raced over to Rudz and got there at 1:30am, I knew I had blown seeing the Anarchitex but maybe I could still catch Exterminating Angels and, as I made my way up the stairs, I was happily greeted by the unmistakable strains of Scott Ayers' guitarwork! Kids, that what you want to go for as a musician - a singular voice that is unmistakably yours. Exterminating Angels for all intents and purposes is Rotten Piece with Scott Ayers and the show was very much like a Rotten Piece show except with the rock cranked up to Ten. I'm not sure who was on the kit but the dude was pounding away while Carol Kelly filled in the bass lines that let Ayers solo with wild abandon while Shawn Kelly ran his vocals through a battery of effects as films ran in the background. Perhaps it wasn't as dancy as the Quintron show down at Walter's but it was no less fun. In fact, I'd probably say this show was a bit more adventurous as at one show you knew exactly what you were going to get but here the players were clearly improvising and taking a few more chances so neither they nor the audience knew exactly what to expect. That's the joy and kick of the Houston experimental community right there - the thrill of the unexpected. Sometimes that modus operandi can lead to god awful performances but when it's works it can be one of the best shows you'll ever experience. This was one of the latter and I was very glad to have made the effort to catch even just the last 20 minutes of the set.

DJs PRKL8R and Ceeplus at Walter's

The Ladies of Golden Triangle

Golden triangle's Drummer
sporting the new look for the fall.

Golden Triangle rocks the Tambourine

Quintron taking everyone
on a sweet booty shakin' ride!

Quintron and his light triggered Drum Buddy

Quintron being a badass

Exterminating Angels ...performing in space!

Scott Ayers (Exterminating Angels)
being a motherfucking badass!

Shawn Kelly (Exterminating Angels)
Ahh yes, I sense your ass is fully kicked.
My work here is done!

LINKS:
More Images in my Flickr (Link)

Quintron and Miss Pussycat on myspace (Link)
Golden Triangle on myspace (link)
Rotten Piece on myspace (Link) - sorry there's no E.A. page at this time.

ACL in Review

photos by Anthony Chapman
words by Johnathon Updegrove

I’ll admit when it comes to seeing live music, particularly festivals, I’m lazy. Lazy in the sense that I show up late to the party, and most of the time it is after it has gone through its popular phase. Typically, this means that everything that I have heard about it, i.e.; the community around it, the potential for great musical discovery, and the overall feel of the show itself, has long ago been purged from it, in order to make room for the one thing killing current music (and honestly, music in general), capitalism.

So, this being my first time to experience ACL, you may understand my apprehension when I heard four of the “bigger” bands consisted of the Mars Volta, Beck, Gnarles Barkley, and the Foo Fighters. Granted, three out of those four deserve all the praise, success, and admiration they garner, in my opinion. However, we must face the facts, all of these bands have been very prevalent on MTV, 104.1 KRBE, and every magazine out there that is more interested in the grooming techniques of the band then they are their musical talents, in the past 15 years. Just so there is no confusion, The Mars Volta is not one of those three bands.

Well, I’m pleased to say, that I was wrong. The Austin City Limits Music Festival, although horribly crowded, still has its independent, almost home town music festival feel. (By the way, the Westheimer Block Party is coming up on October 11th. It’s free and all day. I think you should go, you may like it.)

However, this is not going to be an article kissing the ass of the people who run ACL, nor an article that will be an experiment in the most creative ways to plug an upcoming music festival of our own. So I’m going to pull back to something I mentioned before, the possibility of musical discovery.

There is one obvious thing that you realize within five minutes of walking through the gates, besides the massive amount of humanity and horrible air quality (side note: walking around with a bandana across your face does not make you hate Screamo any less). Okay, so three obvious things that you realize, the third being, that you are going to find out about new music. There are over 130 bands at this festival. I don’t care how in tune with the underground music scene you are; you are going to be surprised at least once.

Everyone’s experience will be different, but I’m the one writing the article so here is the few that I found.

The Black and White Years: At first glance this band is aptly named. Each of the members are either wearing Black, White, or both (yes, I realize that statement is hypocritical with what I mentioned in the second paragraph, but seeing a live show actually requires you to, well, see). However, once they start playing, it really doesn’t matter what they are wearing. They have an almost electro Clash feel, fitting in nicely with the dance rock genre that I so love. They also mix in the garage rock sound of the 60’s as well, to create a sound that is delightfully refreshing yet familiar. Throw in a lead singer whose chops could rival Robert Plant, and you have got yourself a very good band, which just happens to be local to Austin.

Speaking of Robert Plant, he performed at ACL as well, teaming up with Allison Kraus. This is the reason why you won’t be seeing a Beck review here, at least from me. Both acts shared a time slot, so unfortunately, I had to choose. Being the classic rock whore that I am, I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see a God amongst men (and I missed John Fogerty earlier). That, and Beck’s crowd was at least a half-mile back from the stage (a phenomenon that both he and The Foo Fighters experienced that weekend).

Back to the show though. Plant’s and Kraus’s voices mesh surprisingly well, but that’s not where the mash up stops. Their backing band managed to bring the two styles of classic rock and bluegrass together quite gloriously. Trust me; you haven’t lived until you’ve heard a fiddle being played like Jimmy Paige. It made for an all around good show, and it was pleasing to see that Plant still had his microphone tricks up his sleeve.

Surprises go both ways though. When I heard there was a band by the name of We Go To 11, I thought my wildest dreams had come true. I was thinking a Spinal Tap tribute band, maybe even one that would have taken the original style and created new music. What I got was a trio, who decided that their shtick was to play loud, horrible metal (and by that I mean their skill, not musicianship) in which they will play the “verses” at half speed, and the “chorus” at double speed with tremendous amounts of double kick. That and they are high school kids. I wish that was a joke. To paraphrase the ACL program, “none of the band members know how to drive yet.”

Then came CSS, a band who I had heard before. But there is a difference between hearing and seeing, as stated previously. Granted what I have heard was only in passing and while conversing with my friends, but they had always been a band I had wanted to find out more about. So, really CSS was a surprise to me. Their high energy new wave like show even had my head bobbing to the music, a rare notion for bands that I don’t know the words of their songs by heart. Not to mention that their lead singer interacted with the crowd so well, a rare trait in most live acts today.

Finally, there is Teagan and Sara. The Canadian duo manages to keep a very poppy sound, while still being careful to not become generic. Their harmonies are pitch perfect (pun intended), but the best part of their act was their humor. They had a tremendous rapport with the crowd, keeping us entertained while instruments were switched, and even when they screwed up their own song (which led to an interesting factoid about the details of their birth, involving a “sucking reflex”). At the same time, it never took away from the musical portion of their act. Many bands today attempt humor at shows, many with much success, but it’s typically an action to compensate for their musical talent. Teagan and Sara are a rare breed, a band that is very good both live and recorded, that is not afraid to poke fun of themselves as long as it keeps the crowd entertained.

I wish I could sit here and tell you that this show was amazing, that I was blown away. I wish I could give you a tag line like “Thumbs up!” or an “Astounding, fruitful experience” to be on next year’s poster. Unfortunately, I’d have to be ten people to be able to cover enough of this festival to be able to comfortably say something like that.
What I can say is that is was fun. There were no big promotions, not much hoopla. Hell, even the four bands I mentioned at the beginning managed to still keep their sets insanely fun, even if you are not a fan of their music. It just felt like you, the band you were watching, and probably 150,000 of your closest friends. It was like a gigantic party, which for a festival of this size is very…surprising.

The Music Crumudgeon's preview for the Week of October 3rd

This Week's Spotlight is on...
Freaking 6 years of Danspac

Dansparc's 6 anniversary party
@ Numbers (9:30 - 2 am: $4 cover until 11, $6 after 11)
Wooo, Danspac may have been down after Ike but it's not out. It was charming to see DJ Shu Lateef not give up on the original date of this party back on the Saturday Ike hit. Bulletins proclaiming that Danspac was still happening (even as late as Friday) were horribly endearing for their tenacity. Thankfully Shu and Michael Harwell are back and with a vengence and are celebrating 6 years of making your ass shake with a tribute to ELO!

ELO? Like Xanadu ELO?

Yes!

Awwwwwwsomeness!

So get there early as they'll be giving away freaking FREE(!!!) ELO T-shirts and mix CDs along with two lifetime passes to Dansparc.

ALSO THIS WEEK

Friday, October 3

KUHF Classic Film Concerts presents
Nosferatu (1922)
Music by The Golden Arm Trio
@ Discovery Green (7:30PM)

Wow, this is gonna freaking rule! First off the 86 year-old-film is still awesome, then the fact that there'll be a live score by Golden Arm Trio? That's is freaking cool! Stoked my friends is what I am! PS. I predict my 6 year old son will have nightmares like I did when I first saw this film.

Laurie Anderson
Homeland
@ Wortham Center's Cullen Theater (8PM)
(Whoops this is next Friday Oct 10th - MY bad)
SPA brings Anderson's newest work Homeland to Houston which they describe as a "portrait of contemporary American culture [that] explores the current climate of fear and the obsessions with information and security." Anyone got $62 bucks they want to toss me for a front row seat? OK how about $22 for the balcony? Meh, I thought not. Anyhow, here is excerpt from a performance in São Paulo:

Friday October 3
Exterminating Angels (Rotten Piece and Scott Ayers) / Anarchitex / Room 101
@ Rudyard's

Quite the evening of noise and old school punk. Exterminating Angels is Shawn and Carol Kelly (whose home sadly was not spared during Ike) also known as Rotten Piece who are one of the most unpredictable experimental bands. Their music can range from the pure abstract to the more in your face rawk and while it's always weird and clever it's never self-conscious or a case of the "trying too hard." The other third of EA is long time Houston music scientist Scott Ayers who was likely most well known for his work with the Pain Teens though his work with the Walking Timebombs and Truth Decay were also noteworthy. The combination of Ayers with the Kellys will surely open a very nasty dimension. The Anarchitex feature Ayers and other Houston punk/experimental/underground luminaries including Really Red's Bob Weber as well as Happy Fingers Institute's John Reen Davis and Tory Mercer. Nice to see that the old school Houston punks are hard to kill as we thought.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat / Golden Triangle
@ Walter's on Washington
Sure Quintron is cool and always fun live with his crazy organ and retro electronics thing but man, I gotta say I'm always stoked about Miss Pussycat. I mean c'mon she's got puppets! I freaking love puppets!

Generator House Party at the Something Fierce House with
The Young, Something Fierce, Teenage Kicks
(7-10pm at 1813 Marshall)

This just in from Hands up Houston. Gte yr pop punk kicks with three great bands all powered by the gas fumes of a generator! Hopefully this will please the gods of power and the will bestow the gift of electricity to Something Fierce.


Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses/The Rustlanders
@ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Bingham is a pleasant enough Texas singer songwriter but his Spanish pronunciation could use some work.

The Kooks
@ Cactus (5:30PM)
UK pop dullards who are playing at the Meridian that evening. It's criminally boring and pedestrian songwriting and execution but what the hell - Free beer from St. Arnolds makes it all better.

DIRB!, featuring Gracie Chavez, El Jeffe, G. Wizz, & Antonio
@ Boondocks
DJ's Boondocks you know the routine - now dance!

The Vinyl Ranch
on The Revelry Report 6-7pm (91.7fm)
The ongoing series of Friday evening live broadcasts.

Henry Rollins (spoken-word)
@ Stafford Centre (Stafford)
Rollins is most well known for his years of playign the title role in Andrew LLoyd Weber's Phanthom of The Opera and his star take in Rummy Tum Tum Tum. For years, through his poems, he has been a soft spoken voice of civility and American values.


Saturday, October 4

Deep Ella, Paris Green, Straightfork & Morgue City (12PM - 3PM) Ra Ra Riot (4PM) The McKenzies and Dune Tx (7:30PM - 10PM)
@ Cactus
Wow when I saw the line-up I first thought that Cactus had sent me their full month line-up of live shows because there were so many bands but nope this is all Saturday. Shop, Rock, and Free Beer from Saint Arnolds it's like Moses just led us to the promised land. Oh and one word folks - Mckenzies! Shall We Booty Dance? Yes!

2nd Annual Rock for Houston's Youth Concert, featuring
D.R.U.M., Studemont Project, Rowe, The Crisis, Electric Attitude, Advent Scars, Westborn, City of Sounds, Fulton Read, Sevi, & The Blue Poptarts
@ Warehouse Live ($11)
A nice show that will benefit child-advocate organization Children at Risk (http://www.childrenatrisk.org/).

Dayglo Abortions / The Accused / Filth Hounds / El Desmadre
@ Walter's on Washington (8PM; $12)
Oh Canada, to me you are so ... apparently easy to fuck with. At least that's the way it seems for Victoria's Dayglo Abortions who've suffered (or likely giggled trhough) investigations and criminal prosecutions for offensive content. Imagine the Poor Dumb Bastards except with a hankering for backbacon. Local hardcore awesomeness (who by the way are about to release a 7") El Desmadre open .

Ra Ra Riot / Walter Meego / The Morning Benders/Spain Colored Orange
@ Rudyard's
Local Faves SCO open up a night of indie pop.

Boogie Bandits, featuring Dayta, Prince Klassen, & Orion
@ Boondocks
More DJs at Boondocks

Saturday Secret Show
@ The Shady Tavern
Keep it like a secret.

LoneStar PornStar (CD release) / Chrome 44 / Energy Williams / Almost Sober
@ Fitzgerald's
CD release. It gets mentioned. Nothing more to see here. Move along now.


Sunday, October 5

News on the March - EP release / The Wild Moccasins / Elaine Greer / Earnie Banks
@ The Mink (Cancelled)
Well, I was pretty psyched about this show but it magically dropped off all but one of the bands' myspaces and NOTM mentioned in a blog that the CD wasn't going to be back from the plant by the release date. So was it happening was it not? Thankfully, Earnie Banks was good enough to not simply delete the show from the calendar but noted the show as having been cancelled. Thanks guys, I was pretty befuddled there. Anyhow, NOTM e-mailed me back to tell me they'd had to reschedule the release party due to post IKE issues. Hope it's the same line-up as these are all great bands that deserve your attention.


Tuesday, October 7

listenlisten
on the KTRU Local Show - 91.7fm (8PM)
The local show brings us the folksy melancholy quartet.

Kataklysm / Dying Fetus / Eluvitie / Keep Of Kalessin / Pinhed / Cerebral Rot / Cain Was Able / Predominant Mortification / Nhuvasarim @ The Meridian
Metal show ...wait there's a metal band with a Hurdy Gurdy? WTF? OK I guess that's cool...I'll let that go but there is one thing I can't wrap my head around.. How evil and satanic can this metal tour be to be sponsored by Dell? Like Michael Dell!! You know - this Guy!!! --->

Somewhere in Hell, Satan is weeping.

Thursday, October 9

The Walkmen / The Little Ones / Young Mammals
@ Walter's on Washington (8PM)
If youse likes the indie rock. I suggest you head down to this show. The Walkmen kick out some lovely emotive pop. The Little Ones have some horribly endearing vocals and guitars that left me a fan after their last show at Walters a few years back. Then there are, of course, the Young Mammals are one of Houston's premier pop bands with energizing songs and shows that have no equal. Go!

Helios Creed / Chrome / Bible of the Devil
@ Rudyard's
San Fransisco bad ass guitarist Helios Creed has been at it for quite some time both under his own moniker and under the name Chrome. If you are a fan of the Psych, this show is a must.

Bob Schneider
@ McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Pleasant Austin singer songwriter. Much like Earth we file him under Mostly Harmless.

PLF

Photo by Rosa Guerrero

A PLF rehearsal is a pretty intense experience. Dave Callier’s guitar sounds like a car engine, Matt Brunette’s bass is like the rumble of thunder, and Frank Faerman’s drums are like unrelenting machine guns. The band members don’t hop or jump but studiously listen to how they fit into the barrage of rhythm and noise and communicate with their eyes and nods. The typical rock posturing is replaced by an intense concentration of a band that relies on the volume and violence of its music. This is pure unrepentant Grindcore – a furious combination of rat-tat-tat blast beats, a blur of notes, whiplash inducing stops, and guttural vocals. It’s music at its most violent and aggressive. Drop the PLF sonic assault at a Gulf Coast Hardcore show and you’ll find yourself surrounded by kids sweating and screaming along. For those that buy into the idea that Rock and Roll has lost its grit, PLF and the Gulf Coast Hardcore scene should renew your faith.

I sat with Frank and Dave at a Bar-B-Q at Frank’s house recently (Matt was busy feeding the masses at Pizza Hut) and the first order of business was figuring out how they came up with the band’s name. After a short round of “you wanna answer that one” between the two, Dave smiled like a guilty student and confessed to his crime, “For the first few practices, the band was Frank and Jeff. They’d practice at Frank’s parent’s house and I’d give them a ride. They asked me for band names and I said Pretty Little Flower; it was the wimpiest and worst name I could think of.”

Frank laughs and adds, “Then he joined up a month later and he’s cursed himself ever since.”

The band released records and toured under the old moniker but now they simply go under the acronym PLF. Beyond that one change and a few bass players over the years, PLF remains the same uncompromising sonic beast they set out to create. As Frank explains it, a PLF song has to have “tight stops, blast beats, and a circle pit part for people to dance. Most of all, it has to be full force. We’ve been doing [PLF] for 10 years. We’re true to grind and we’ll be doing this until our bones won’t let us.”

“I usually start with rhythm parts – not even chords.” explains Dave, “I’ll come to practice with the beats and parts then me and Frank will work it out. I actually record and put away guitar riffs so I’ll bring them in depending on the beat and speed of the part. Early on, most songs were socio-political protest songs - not so much now. Really [lyrics come from] anything that inspires me from seizing life to corny existentialism. It’s painting a picture like things exploding, heavy machinery…just thoughts and impressions to give texture to intensity. What we want to do is grab people with noise and speed and blow their heads off. I like to play to people who’ve never heard us and totally terrorize them.”

“There are people out there who’ve never heard of Grindcore or Punk.” says Frank, “It’s great to play to them and see them totally stoked to be at their first Grindcore show. This music attracts a lot of people so you’ll get Punks, Metal Heads, Crusties…you name it. The shows are cheap as shit, anyone can come, and it’s easy to meet people. There aren’t any bad vibes. Hell, you can go to church and listen to Avril Levigne – we don’t give a shit.”

“You have to understand,” says Dave, “the original Grindcore bands were a mesh of fast extreme Political Punk, Thrash, and Death Metal. So it’s a melding of cultures that were into anger, protest, and sonic violence. It works into [the idea of] releasing aggression through music. It lets you deal with daily life’s bullshit and the struggles that come along and releasing that negative energy. It’s the perfect therapy.”

“I know if I don’t get my PLF rehearsal two or more times a week,” says Frank, “I have to smoke a bit more. I need that furious pummeling energy ….”

“But it’s life affirming.” adds Dave, “It’s intense in a happy way - the music and being part of the scene.” That scene is a huge part of PLF and, when I ask how, Dave elaborates; “99% of the shows we play are small DIY shows. We support touring bands and help them out with gigs which helps sustain the international punk/hardcore/grind community. Most of the time we don’t even take money when there is a touring band and we’ll even cook for them.”

“I’ve probably put on 30 shows in the last six months,” says Frank, “and each time more and more kids show up. That’s the thing - like 80 kids will show up on a Wednesday night. After their tour, a lot of the bands will call me up and say how that was the best night of the tour. Then they’ll tell other bands how they have to play Houston. That’s the way it is – everyone helps each other.”

All in all Dave is pretty satisfied with the success they’ve achieved and their place within the Gulf Coast Hardcore community; “We’re where we want to be – writing, recording, touring, and playing fun intense shows. I can’t relate to people who judge success by money and getting rich. We’ve released records all over the world and we’re at the point where we don’t have to ask labels to release our stuff. They come to us. I know people who’ve signed with large labels and it sounds like a lot of red tape and limitations. If we diluted our music, it wouldn’t be fun and if it’s not fun – fuck it.”

I ask them for one lesson they’ve picked up over the last decade that they can share and Dave replies, “If I can give you one lesson it would be to just to write prolifically. If you’re persistent enough, someone is bound to like you. So just put down the beer, put down the joint, and write songs.”

Frank adds with a smirk, “You can always smoke it after.”

The new PLF album "Crushing Fury of Bastardization" (LP/CD) is out now on Power It Up Records. The new PLF split EP with Mesrine out now on To Live a Lie Records. Also coming in late 2024 - an EP with Needful Things and a split LP with In Disgust.

PLF will be on tour from October 1st through October 27th in Europe. Currently, their next scheduled Houston performance will be at Noisefest 2024 which runs December 5th and 6th.

Links:
PLF on Myspace (Link)

Gulf Coast Hardcore on Myspace (Link)
Power It Up Records (Link)
To Live A Lie Records (Link)